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The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
earned a score of 90 in a recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)
survey of individuals receiving survivor benefits from the agency. This is 23
points higher than the latest overall Federal government customer satisfaction
score.

The ACSI survey focused on the RRB's survivor
benefit process. The survey included initial widow(er)s and spouse-to-widow(er)
conversions. Initial widow(er) cases are those where a widow(er) was not
receiving a spouse benefit at the time he or she became eligible for a widow(er)'s
benefit. Spouse-to-widow(er) conversion cases are those where a retired employee
and his or her spouse were both receiving retirement benefits prior to the
employee's death.

The survey found the RRB scoring highest (93)
in the area of customer service, with respondents reserving their best marks for
the courtesy, professionalism, and responsiveness of agency employees, along
with the accuracy and clarity of information provided. The survivor benefit
application process received a score of 87, with most respondents pleased with
the ease of the process and with the amount of supporting documentation
required.

Results changed little since the same
beneficiary segment was last surveyed in 2005. Respondents did give higher marks
for the quality of the survivor benefit award letter they received from the
agency, with a score of 90 compared to 87 in 2005. Beneficiaries were
particularly satisfied with the ease in understanding the information provided
in the letter.

Customers also had a high level of confidence
in the RRB doing a good job, with a score of 94, an increase from 92 in 2005.
This score indicates that those surveyed are satisfied with the service provided
by the agency and are confident they will continue to be well-served in the
future.

Produced through a partnership of the University of Michigan Business
School, the CFI Group, and the American Society for Quality, the ACSI regularly
measures national customer satisfaction with corporate and government goods and
services. Working with the Department of the Interior's National Business Center
Federal Consulting Group, government agencies participating in the survey use
the ACSI to gauge their level of service and benchmark their performance for
comparison with similar organizations in the private sector. The ACSI also helps
agencies focus on those processes, based on customer feedback, which will have
the biggest impact on an agency's ability to deliver the highest quality
products and services.

This marks the seventh time the RRB has
participated in the survey. In March 2012, the RRB earned a score of 81 in a
survey of individuals who applied for and received unemployment or sickness
benefits from the agency. Other recent surveys included a score of 88 in a 2009
ACSI survey of recently retired railroad workers who were receiving a monthly
annuity, and a score of 85 in a 2006 survey of individuals who were recently
awarded disability benefits. The RRB has consistently received higher scores
than the composite Federal number.